Chapter 5 XI

Cudillero, Spain, June 26th 2009

The road startd to descend, surrounded by forest. It was odd that they were eucalyptus forests, but what can you do. Forestry policies where not all that well though back in the day. I knew I would have no chance to find a parking spot, so I did not even try. I knew that the best place to try find a spot was down by the harbour, so I went straight there. I shifted down into 4th gear, the transmission fighting with Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man and controlled the last meters with the brakes.

At the harbor, it was not hard to find a parking spot. After all, it was a weekday and, even though the air was warm and humid, it was windy and the sky was covered. Therefore, I took my rain jacket from the back before heading off. I did not expect it to rain, but since I left the Atlantic coast, I was no longer adapted to the ever present wind. Even in summer it made me feel cold.

I locked the car and headed to the start of the hill I had just drive down from, following the narrow sidewalk. Right before leaving the lot I could see the black Opel Corsa Jesús used.  Following on an impulse, I changed slightly my heading to go in front of the car and, without stopping, letting my hand feel in front of the cooling grill. The fan was off, but the heat was obvious.


Since Jesús had just arrived and had to get to his observation post, I decided to cut him some slack and buy him some time. I headed to the sea wall to breathe a little and have a look. 

Cudillero

After fucking about for what it looked like a sensible while, I took to the hill again and climbed the narrow staircase to a group of houses. On the ground floor of one of them, a sign over a door read: Diving school Xanas. It was hand painted with lively colours. The windows protected with thick bars, painted black. On the side a khaki  4 x 4 with a half ton trailer was parqued and the front wheels turned towards the wall. The rear had chocks applied.

I pushed the main door and found myself  on a small reception area. I could see one of the doors ajar, on which the old logo of the UEBEC was painted, an anchor under a crown and below the diver's fins.

I knocked slightly on the door, and the wooden door opened a little more. I saw Hector raising his gaze towards me from some nautical charts. I had made myself an idea of the distribution of the floor and I was convinced Héctor was alone..

Héctor fixed his gaze in me  and quietly asked
 -- what the hell are you doing here? --


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